Staff Design Release Engineer, Human-Machine Interface & User Experience

Motional; Pittsburgh (Allegheny County); On-site; USD 144,000 - 191,000; Full time

Job summary

Motional is seeking a Staff Engineer in Design Release Engineering within the Vehicle Platform Engineering group to own the complete design release, engineering integration, and OEM orchestration of our HMI and UX subsystem. This role blends hands‑on engineering with product management and systems engineering.

You will translate UX concepts into technical requirements, manage component procurement, and lead end‑to‑end release and vehicle integration of in‑cabin and exterior HMI hardware, with a

Qualifications

• 8+ years of experience in automotive hardware design and release engineering, with direct ownership of infotainment, displays, cabin electronics, or HMI platforms.
• Bachelor’s or Master’s degree in Electrical, Mechanical, Computer, or Systems Engineering (or a related technical field).
• Strong ability to bridge UX/Product vision and rigorous automotive engineering requirements, with a proven track record of managing release timelines and OEM milestones.
• Deep knowledge of automotive display technologies, touch interfaces, audio systems, and in‑cabin communication protocols.
• Familiarity with validation docs and processes including DVP&R, DFMEA, PFMEA.
• Experience with BOMs and ECN processes and working with external suppliers.
• Proficiency with CAD systems (NX, CATIA) and PLM tools; experience with ISO 26262 is a plus.

Responsibilities

• Own the complete design release for in‑cab and exterior HMI hardware components (displays, indicators, buttons, speakers, microphones).
• Drive requirements and product definition alignment by converting UX concepts into engineering specs, ICDs, and functional requirements.
• Lead end‑to‑end technical execution from concept to sustaining engineering and continuous improvement.
• Oversee generation and release of engineering docs, BOMs, specifications, and test reports.
• Drive OEM platform integration with vehicle manufacturer teams for mechanical, electrical, and software integration.
• Define and maintain the Design Verification Plan & Report (DVP&R).
• Lead the Engineering Change (ECN) process for HMI modules with traceability and cross‑functional buy‑in.
• Act as interface to Tier‑1 and Tier‑2 suppliers, tracking maturity through DV, PV, PPAP phases.
• Lead design readiness reviews and risk mitigation to align with milestones and builds.
• Provide regular updates to technical leadership on maturity, validation progress, open issues, and closure metrics.

Skills

HMI hardware

Infotainment

OEM integration

Release engineering

Systems engineering

Vendor management

Education

Bachelor or Master in Electrical, Mechanical, Computer, or Systems Engineering

Tools

NX

CATIA

Polarion

PLM systems

Job description

Our Design Release Engineering team, within the Vehicle Platform Engineering group, is seeking a highly motivated Staff Engineer to own the complete design release, engineering integration, and OEM orchestration of our Human‑Machine Interface (HMI) and User Experience (UX) subsystem.

This role fuses traditional Design Release Engineering with hands‑on Product Management and Systems Engineering. As the primary engineering authority, you will drive the translation of high‑level user experience concepts into actionable technical requirements, lead component procurement, and manage the complete release and vehicle integration of passenger and exterior‑facing HMI systems.

What You’ll Be Doing:

• Own the complete design release for all in‑cabin and exterior HMI hardware components, including passenger displays, status indicators, buttons and key pads, and speakers and microphones.
• Drive requirements and product definition alignment by collaborating closely with internal teams to convert high‑level driverless user experience concepts into detailed engineering specifications, interface control documents (ICDs), and functional requirements.
• Lead end‑to‑end technical execution for the full product lifecycle, from concept and architecture definition to sustaining engineering and continuous improvement.
• Oversee the generation and release of all engineering documentation, including drawings, Bills of Material (BOM), specifications, and test reports.
• Drive OEM platform integration by working directly with the vehicle manufacturer’s engineering teams to facilitate the mechanical, electrical, and software integration of Motional’s HMI suite into the OEM’s base vehicle architecture.
• Define and maintain the Design Verification Plan & Report (DVP&R), ensuring successful validation against system performance targets.
• Lead the Engineering Change (ECN) process for all HMI modules, ensuring traceability, cost impact analysis, version control, and full cross‑functional buy‑in.
• Act as the primary technical and program interface to suppliers (Tier‑1 and Tier‑2), tracking part maturity through DV, PV, and PPAP phases to ensure tooling and delivery readiness.
• Lead technical program reviews and design readiness assessments, proactively developing risk mitigation plans to ensure HMI hardware maturity aligns with program milestones and build events.
• Provide regular, concise updates to technical leadership on design maturity, validation progress, open issues, and timely closure metrics.

What We’re Looking For:

• 8+ years of experience in automotive hardware design and release engineering, with direct ownership of infotainment, displays, cabin electronics, or HMI platforms.
• Bachelor’s or Master’s degree in Electrical, Mechanical, Computer, or Systems Engineering (or a related technical field).
• Strong ability to bridge the gap between abstract UX/Product vision and rigorous automotive engineering requirements, with a proven track record of managing release timelines, vendor delivery, and OEM integration milestones.
• Deep technical understanding of automotive display technologies, touch interfaces, audio systems, lighting, and in‑cabin communication protocols.
• Fundamental knowledge of validation documentation and processes, including DVP&R, DFMEA, and PFMEA.
• Expert‑level experience with the manufacturing BOM and ECN processes, and a proven ability to manage technical discussions with external suppliers.
• Familiarity with CAD systems (e.g., NX, CATIA), Product Lifecycle Management (PLM) systems (including requirement management tools such as Polarion), and engineering release workflows.
• Strong understanding of vehicle integration, packaging, and functional safety standards (ISO 26262).
• Proven ability to lead complex initiatives, manage cross‑functional teams, and execute to aggressive program timelines with minimal oversight.

Bonus Points:

• Professional proficiency or fluency in Korean to facilitate direct technical and program communication with international vehicle manufacturing partners.
• Hands‑on experience defining or testing passenger‑facing UX/HMI modules specifically tailored for autonomous vehicles, robotaxis, or shared mobility fleets.
• Prior experience working within an automotive OEM (or managing large‑scale platform integrations as a strategic Tier‑1 partner), with a proven track record of navigating vehicle assembly plants, OEM launch milestones, and joint‑venture automotive program delivery.

The salary range for this role is an estimate based on a wide range of compensation factors including but not limited to specific skills, experience and expertise, role location, certifications, licenses, and business needs. The estimated compensation range listed in this job posting reflects base salary only. This role may include additional forms of compensation such as a bonus or company equity. The recruiter assigned to this role can share more information about the specific compensation and benefit details associated with this role during the hiring process. Candidates for certain positions are eligible to participate in Motional’s benefits program. Motional’s benefits include but are not limited to medical, dental, vision, 401k with a company match, health saving accounts, life insurance, pet insurance, and more.

Motional’s benefits include but are not limited to

• medical
• dental
• vision
• 401k with a company match
• health saving accounts
• life insurance
• pet insurance
• and more

Salary Range: $144,000 USD - $191,250 USD

Motional is a driverless technology company making autonomous vehicles a safe, reliable, and accessible reality. We’re driven by something more.

Our journey is always people first.

We aren't just developing driverless cars; we're creating safer roadways, more equitable transportation options, and making our communities better places to live, work, and connect. Our team is made up of engineers, researchers, innovators, dreamers and doers, who are creating a technology with the potential to transform the way we move.

We’re creating first‑of‑its‑kind technology that will transform transportation. To do so successfully, we must design for everyone in our cities and on our roads. We believe in building a great place to work through a progressive, global culture that is diverse, inclusive, and ensures people feel valued at every level of the organization. Diversity helps us to see the world differently; it’s not only good for our business, it’s the right thing to do.

Scale up, not starting up.

Our team is behind some of the industry's largest leaps forward, including the first fully‑autonomous cross‑country drive in the U.S, the launch of the world's first robotaxi pilot, and operation of the world's longest‑standing public robotaxi fleet. We’re driven to scale; we’re moving towards commercialization of our technology, and we need team members who are ready to embrace change and challenges.

Formed as a joint venture between Hyundai Motor Group and Aptiv, Motional is fundamentally changing how people move through their lives. Headquartered in Boston, Motional has operations in the U.S and Asia. For more information, visit www.Motional.com and follow us on Twitter, LinkedIn, Instagram and YouTube.

Motional AD Inc. is an EOE. We celebrate diversity and are committed to creating an inclusive environment for all employees. To comply with Federal Law, we participate in E‑Verify. All newly‑hired employees are queried through this electronic system established by the DHS and the SSA to verify their identity and employment eligibility.